A customer is playing on an Xbox xCloud device at the opening of the Microsoft store on July 11, 2019 in London, England.
Peter Summers | Getty Images
Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming service, formerly known as xCloud, will begin launching in beta on iPhone, iPad and PC this week. The service will only be invited to begin, Microsoft said in a blog post Monday.
Xbox Cloud Gaming was about to be released earlier for the iPhone and iPad, but Apple updated its App Store rules in September, which affected services such as Xbox Gaming and Google Stage. Apple’s move has forced companies to use web browsers to redesign their services so they can circumvent the App Store rules. According to the rules, Microsoft, Google and other companies with similar services should have offered each game as an individual download, instead of offering a complete library, as Netflix does for movies.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is a kind of Netflix for gaming. People who subscribe to Microsoft’s $ 14.99 / month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate plan can access more than 100 titles. The appearance of the cloud game allows you to play the games live without having to download them, provided you have a fast enough internet connection. The streaming option is already available for Android phones.
Microsoft said it will start launching the service in 22 countries and will continue to invite new users to try it. Players only need a Bluetooth or USB controller for most games, although touch controls are available for some of them.